Memorial Day .......

Memorial Day 2010....

In 2008 my dad, a WW2 vet, marched down the main street of our home town, barely able to walk, carrying his oxygen tank and wearing his medals on his old Army cap. This was not planned, he just got up at the end of the parade to take what was to be his final march! My dad died a few weeks later. He was a true American patriot, loving his country and what it means to be free! When we were small we were very poor, not having much at all. A house that was built to be an apple sorting barn years before, an outhouse up on the hill, and 4 rooms for the 6 of us to live in. Yet we had a father who taught us to love and respect our country, he endured alot overseas during the war and brought home with him horrible memories of war and concentration camp clean up after the war, but always loved his country. Whenever the National Anthem was played on our TV he had us all stand (my 3 brothers and myself) with our hands over our hearts in respect for Americca. Memorial Day always meant alot to him as well, he lost many friends in WW2. The DAR gave him an award once because his family had someone serving in every war to that point that this country has ever been involved in. He was proud of that. Tyler grew up with my dad and Ron's dad, both WW2 Army vets, telling him stories of war and of how proud they were to have served their country. These stories helped to mold him into someone who wanted to serve and protect his country. He loved and respected America as well. He spends this Memorial Day in the company of many American heros, 2 of them are his Papaw Hyatt and his Papaw Woodle! Thank you heros! We miss you Tyler, Daddy and Papaw Woodle!!

Thank You.......

Asheville Christian Academy, Bill George, all teachers now and in the past who knew Tyler, friends, classmates, and teammates, coaches all who God used to mold and make our son into the man he became! Thank you for the love you all showed to Tyler! For the strong Bible teaching, for the life lessons, for the fun, for the games and championships won or lost, for grace and mercy shown through Christ Jesus, for the best high school years any young man could ask for!! Thank you to the wonderful parents who took our Tyler home with them for the night to keep him from driving so far! Thank you for the many meals you fed to Tyler and for the wonderful hospitality you showed! Thank you ACA for standing with our family during this time, coming to the service, sending beautiful flowers, all the prayers and the comforting cards and letters!! Thank you for loving Tyler and giving him so much more than a good education!! May God bless you. All our love in Christ Jesus, you all hold a special place in our hearts forever!

Thank you.....

Thank you HOMESCHOOL MOMS and friends!! WOW You all pitched in and did so much to bless our Tyler!! Thank you for all of the delicious food that God used to bless us as well as our young warrior SEALS!! They loved it!!I loved being a Homeschool mom with you all!! Thank you for all the hard work and I know a lot of prayers for us!We are blessed to call you friends! Tyler was our precious son, we were blessed to have him at home to school for 5 years! God bless you and your children, they are a gift from the Lord!! Keep up the hard work, who (only God) knows how far they will go in life! It is always worth it!! Keep your eyes on the real Teacher!! I love you all!!

Thank you...

Thank you dearest Rehoboth Baptist Church family!! We have known and loved you all many years! God blessed us with much spiritual growth there through the years, we learned alot about knowing and trusting Him and recieving what He alone had for us with you. Thank you for loving and teaching our Tyler when he was a little boy, Patsy especially! He loved you Ms Patsy! Thank you for never judging and always loving the children as you taught them about the love of Christ! You are a faithful servant of God!! Thank you ladies for all of the food and the hard work that went into preparing and serving it to our family and to our strong warriors, the SEALS!! Hooyah!! They enjoyed every bite!! Thank you all for your cards and prayers, for the beautiful flowers, for the visits to our home, and for the love and support!! God bless you! We are back in Waynesville now and look forward to fellowshipping with our friends from Rehoboth again! Thank you and God bless you all, you are our family!!

Thank you.....

Pastor Jim Dykes and North Asheville Baptist church, what can I say but that you have been our church family for many years and we love you all! God did not let us stay there or be a part in many ways but He taught us much at NABC. Thank you for all the love and acceptance that we as a family found among you. For the love and the teaching our son Tyler recieved in the youth group while there. God introduced him to many fine Christian examples there, later on even working in construction with James. God used even the work days to speak of Christ's love for him! Thank you ladies for the wonderful food you prepared and brought to Woodland Baptist for the service, you served some of the country's finest young warriors, our SEALS!! Thank you for honoring our precious Tyler and blessing us!! Thank you for the food and flowers you brought to our home, for Pastor Ken's visit, for the many cards and letters, God bless you all. Thank you Jim and Tracey for all of the love and encouragement you shared with us! Thank you Tracey for the beautiful songs for Tyler, he would have loved them. Tyler always said you had a beautiful voice, we know it as the voice of one who loves the King of Kings!! Thank you also Evan for coming to bless us with your talents from God! You are truly gifted of the Lord! Pastor Jim, as usual God used you for His glory in a great and mighty way, thank you!! You shared Jesus with the lost and hurting people that God brought to Tyler's service, what a gift to give to them!! You honored the very essence of who our Tyler was with your words chosed by God. We love and miss our son more than words can say, yet we are oonfident of this, God began a wonderful work of grace in him at 7 years old and He completed His work in Tyler's life this year. How great is our Lord!! Thank you for being our Pastor, teacher, and friend. Thank you for blessing our Tyler and standing strong for Jesus Christ no matter the cost! God bless you and hold you!!

Thank You.....

Thank you so very much Randy Shepherd for being a great and godly friend to all of us for all these years! God placed you in our Tyler's life at an early age to help guide and train him for God's great plan for his life. I am quite sure Tyler never realized alot of what was in his life, the purpose God had for all of it and what He would bring from it, but God knew and He loved our son and saw him through! Your life has always been about sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing people come to know Him as Savior and Lord, God used you greatly on the day of Tyler's funeral as He used you in Tyler's life as a boy, Thank You!! Tyler went to your basketball camp for 8 years and though he did not play basketball much what he learned there with you and Jamie spoke volumes into his life!!Your ministry is and has always been in our prayers, the work that is done through that basketball goes throughout eternity!! Thank you faithful servant of God, Randy Shepherd our friend!! God be with you as He always has.

Thank You.....

Thank you all so very much Pastor Jim Dykes, of North Asheville Baptist Church, Pastor Allen Davis of Woodland Baptist Church and Randy Shepherd of Crossfire Ministries for the wonderful service honoring our precious Tyler on February 20,2010 at Woodland Baptist Church in Waynesville, NC

Pastor Allen, We have not been at your church very long, still coming as visitors, and yet you all welcomed us with open and loving arms! You blessed us and our family even though you never knew our Tyler. He was greatly honored by you all! The church cooked for, cleaned up after and served our SEALS with a wonderul home cooked meal, arms were opened to all of them, honoring them for their service and sacrifices. Thank You all!! HOOYAH You spoke the words of the gospel of Jesus Christ with power and God showed up that day and changed the lives of many in His name! What a blessing and what a special day for Tyler!! Thank You so very much!! You and your family came to our home and blessed us with God's Word and strength, thank you also for the wonderful breakfast food, it was enjoyed by all! God bless you as you serve Him!

Colossians 3:23...SEALS... passion!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord"

quote, "We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion" Georg Hegel

quote, "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave (no) trail" Ralph Waldo Emerson (changed by me)


HOOYAH NAVY SEALS!
YOU LIVE A LIFE OF PASSION!!

With no trail!!

Thank You Navy SEALS...

I want to thank the most wonderful men in the world! Our Navy SEALS, they do a very hard job for this country and we all owe them alot!! Thank you guys!!These are the men who go without sleep, run for miles, swim for miles, eat and sleep while training, who endure more than most men could ever hope to be able to. These men are the stongest in spirit, determination, stamina, courage, mentally and physically strong. They keep us safe in our beds each night with their dangerous missions! We know very little about the SEALS as a country. They are the quiet professional warriors of the US Navy, HOOYAH NAVY SEALS!! Thank you guys for taking such great care of our family. Thank you for coming to our home and staying with us during the hardest days of our lives! Thank you for protecting our privacy and making many arrangements for us. Thank you for the photos and the videos. Thank you for being so compassionate, loving and kind to us! Thank you officers and enlisted men alike for coming to honor our son. Thank you for bringing Tyler's friends from across the USA to be here with us too!! Thank you for the wonderful service you provided for Tyler in Little Creek, VA! Thank you to the beautiful lady who sang for Tyler's service, what an awesome voice she has! Thank you Navy Chaplains for your faithfulness to support and share truth with our sons! Thank you NSWF for all of the arrangements, the flights, the room, the food, flowers, I could go on and on, thank you! Thank you guys for the awesome shadow boxes for Ron and me, for Jerica, for Sumer and for my mom, Nana!! They were wonderful!! Mostly thank you all for loving, challenging, encouraging, befriending, and taking such great care of our Tyler!! HOOYAH NAVY SEALS!! You are all our sons now and we love you!!

Gift from a friend...Thank You Donna

this was handed to me at Tyler's service, it is beautiful!!

Today I sit before the King

Whose face I have never before seen,

So many times I have spoken His name

Once when I asked Him my soul to claim.

Joyfully, He made me His that day,

He has always been with me come what may.

Once again in my time of need, I called His name, He came to me.

He took my hand, said, "Son let's depart

awaiting you is a brand new start."

No more tears, war, no-pain,

No more training, your goal attained.

Now is time for peace and all My best,

But first I want to hold you as you rest.

So dear family and friends weep not for me,

I'm in the best of hands, I wish you could see.

Jesus my Savior, Jesus my King,

Jesus my Redeemer has been waiting for me.

I'll see you sometime, it may be a while,

Think of me with happy thoughts,

I'll be wearing my SMILE!!

written for Tyler by Donna Sorrells, February 18,2010

Thank you so very much for this special gift Donna, it has blessed us more than you know. Ron and Kathi Woodle I see his smile whenever I close my eyes!!

Thank You....

Next I thank my Lord for giving Ron Woodle to me as my husband, my best friend and the wonderful father of our children! Ron has always been my inspiration, he holds me up when I can endure no more, he encourages me when I am down, he always points me to Jesus, he is a great leader and provider and there is so much of him in our children! Tyler was so much like his dad, and he loved becoming more and more like his dad! We know because this is what he told his friends! WOW what a wonderful dad and son God gave me! Tyler said, his dad was one of the strongest Christians he had ever met and that one day he would be just like him! Thank You Lord for Your great mercy and faithfulness!

song by Brandon Heath... for Tyler.

...song title.."Tyler's Lullaby" WOW! Thank you Lord
Lay down my childClose your eyes one more timeLet the night take you softly into sleepSure as the moon shining on your sweet faceBe rest assured you will be safeIn this placeThe sweetest gift God has given meGraced with the tiniest beautyThese eyes have seenSoft as the song of a winter windSheltered by love A love that will never endLife so often a mysteryAnd each of us seeking a clueTo an answer I never thought I'd findWhen I lost youBut in your time with meSomehow you taught me to seeJust as in life Even in deathYou always will be here with meSo lay down my childClose your eyes one more timeLet the night take you softly into sleepAnd on to your maker you will flyLow as the angels sing you a lullaby
"Tyler's Lullaby"

Thank You...

So very many to thank, where do I start? First of all I would like to praise and glorify my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving us a wonderful son for 26 years! For all the great memories, for saving our son early in life, for seeing him through many trials in life, for making him the man he was and for answering every prayer Ron and I ever prayed for our Tyler!! Thank you Jesus, thank you Holy Spirit of God for the comfort You hae given our family and Tyler's friends, for the peace of knowing that You are with us, thank You! Thank You Heaveny Father, for Your most wonderful gift of Your Son, Who You gave so that we could knowYou as Father, and for Your awesome plan for our son's life! Thank You, all praise and glory to Your Name!!

God's blessings.....

God has so greatly blessed Ron and I with our children and through the years He taught us to pray dilligently for them. Our Tyler went through many trials and tribulations in his life. We always reminded him that God had a plan and a purpose for his life and that it would be revealed to him when he was ready to recieve it. Tyler was meant for greater things than just work and life here in the mountains, God had a call on his life since he was born and we saw it since he was a boy. God fulfilled Tyler's earthly plan on February 16 of this year and is still using Tyler's life to encourage others. This is what a parent prays for, God's protection on our loved ones as He guides their lives with His purpose, and His blessings.
February 16 Tyler was diving in Key West, Fl with his team, and when he walked onto shore that day it was on Heaven's shore, God reached into the water and rescued our son from what this world had for him. Since that day we have realized just how very much Tyler was saved from by our Heavenly Father. Tyler had a large malignant brain tumor, one that there was not any hope of healing in any way. We were told if they did surgery he would probably be paralized and could only survive a short time after. They said this was a very aggressive and fast growing tumor that attacks young people 20-30 years old and that it had been growing less than 2 years. Our sweet, strong Tyler would have died on the inside as well as the outside if he had known about this. God in His great love and mercy spared our son, he left this earth a happy man who had accomplished much in his 26 years. The real miracle is that God got him through the hardest training any man could endure, helped him to excel in all he was called to do, gave him great friends in the SEALS, really they are his brothers, and Tyler did all this with a deadly brain tumor that he never knew of!! None of the usual symptoms, pain, headaches or vision problems!! Praise God for His great love and mercy on our dear son, Tyler!! He left this earth a happy and accomplished man!

Tears...

" There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are our messengers of overwhelming grief...... and of unspeakable love."
Washington Irving

Tyler's favorite..

"What we do in this life echoes in eternity" from the Gladiator, Tyler's favorite quote
....as Christians we know how very true this is
.........what are we doing today for eternity? .....good question.......
......

Navy SEAL hymn

Lord, Father of sea, air and land,
Protect us with Thy mighty hand.
For in Your just cause we do strive,
Be present as we jump and dive.

Lord, keep our SEALS within Your care,
That liberty we all may share.
And when at length our course is run,
Our work for God and country done,
By power of Thy breath restore,
Our dead who serve in peace and was.
O comfort loved ones left behind,
And grant eternal life on high.
Amen and amen. Hooyah Tyler Woodle

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee For SEALs in air, on land and sea

Faith..

FAITH..... When we walk to the edge of all the light we have to stand on and take that step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen....... There will be something solid to stand on or.... God will teach us to ....FLY!!!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble, with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" 2 Corinthians 1:3,4

God is our constant comfort during this time of great sadness, may He be yours as well today! We stand on FAITH alone in Jesus Christ for each day.

Texts to Tyler..

"Meekness is great strength under great control. Humility is confidence properly placed." from my devotional Daily in Christ

God always gave me words to encourage Tyler during the tough training he went through. Thank you Lord for all things. James 1:2-4

"Blessed is the man (Tyler) who perseveres under trials, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love Him" James 1:12

Blessings!!

"When tomorrow starts without me, try to understand, Jesus came and called my name and took me by the hand."

This is what happened to our son Tyler, on February 16,2010 Jesus called his name and took him by the hand to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. We miss our dear Tyler, but know God's plans for him and His love of Tyler are greater than we could ever know. He loves our son and He loves us, His great comfort carries us through each day and will until we meet our Tyler again in Heaven. This is our only hope, our only help! The days are hard but God is good!
He blessed us with the most wonderful son, Tyler. We dedicated our children to the Lord when they were small and understand they are His. Our gift is to be their parents on earth and to see them grow to fulfill His plan for their lives. God gave Tyler a plan and a purpose in life, He gave him a big dream, then He helped him to see it through. He blessed him with many blessings along the way.
God gave Tyler...a huge loving heart, compassion for others, winning smile, sweet spirit, strong will, intelligence, courage, honor, commitment, strength in body and mind, love of life, love of fun, dedication, determination and self discipline, a great personality and so much more!! What more could a parent ask for? What a blessing our Tyler was! Not just to us, his family, but to all who knew him! Thank You Lord for our son!

Tomorrow...

When tomorrow starts without me, try to understand. Jesus came and called my name and took me by the hand.

This is what happened to our dear son, Tyler on February 16, 2010 These days of living without him are so hard, but our dear Lord is with us as Tyler is with Him until we meet again. That is our only comfort. We praise God for His gift of Tyler in our lives and for His great faithfulness to our son here on earth. We dedicated our children to the Lord and they are His, He loves them more than we ever could and He is with them always!! Our gift is to be their parents on earth and to watch them grow into the people that God created them to be. He had great plans for Tyler and only when those plans were complete here would He call him home to Heaven. God greatly blessed our son with wisdom, courage, confidence, a huge loving heart, a great personality, committment, honor, intelligence, beauty, compassion, love of life, love of fun, forgiving spirit, winning smile, strength (mental and physical), a great life! What more could we ask? He gave him great dreams and them made sure that he fulfilled them all! He watched over our Tyler and blessed him beyond measure! Blessed be the name of the Lord!!

New York City trip

We just returned from New York City. The Navy Seal Warrior Fund has a major fund raiser every year there and they asked us to come. This is the group that took such great care of our family during this time of loss. Every need is taken care of for the SEALS and their families by these great people. Fallen SEALS' families need help with child care for moms who have to work outside the home now, these children need college, daycare, etc. they need help throughout their lives. These moms needs support, maybe help to go back to school, to find a home, to move, many things. The wounded SEALS need lots of special help with medical issues that we cannot begin to imagine. These guys do a great service for our country they give up more than we know, they train constantly, they endure alot for us!! Their jobs are unknown to most but always whether in training or service, their lives are at risk, for us!! They are our family, our sons and we appreciate our SEALS. God bless them! Give to support this group if you can, they use it wisely for a great cause. We have seen them in action and we know! Hooyah Tyler Woodle! Hooyah Navy SEALS!! www.navysealfund.org check it out and support them! thanks, Kathi